Method of and means for sterilizing



Feb. 23, v193?. W. H. FULTON 1,847,003

METHOD OF'AND MEANS FOR STERILIZING Filed July 24, 195o 2 sheets-sheet 1 5 4 a a As 6 6 5 SW,..- ,f

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Feb. 23, 1932.

W. H. FULTON METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR STERILIZING 2 Sheets-5heet 2 Filed July 24, 1950 Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM H. FULTON, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE PARAOON COM- PANY, OF ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE 'METHODl OF AND MEANS FOR STER-.ILIZING Application led July 24, 1930. Serial N0. 470,525.

This invention relates to sterilizing apparatus Aand particularly to a type which, am'ong other uses, is well adapted for use in sterilizing bottles. L

In the sterilizin'g processes in usewtoday for ste'rilizing bottles of various types, it is necessary after thesterilizing and washing operations to rinse the bottle with. both` hot and cold water before the bottle is iised. While the bottle may have been perfectly clean and sterile after the completion of the sterilization processthe cold rinse water may havef 'a high bacteriological content and consequently atthe closeof the operation the bottle is, at the usejinconnection with, washing machines common use. Another object ofthe invention is the provision of a` sterilizer wherein A a measured amount of sterilizing agent is placed in water and carried directly to the surface to be sterilized.

Another object of the invention is the provision' of a sterilizer device having a water inlet and a water outlet a chamber for the collection of a sterilizinghgent and a connectionto the water outlet from the chamber to,

deliver the agent to ,tliewaten l Other and further'objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the complete specification and claims. l

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated an embodiment and an application of my invention wherein,

Figure 1 illustrates a diagrammatic showing of the operation of my invention.

Figure 2 is a view of a portion of a bottle washing machine showing the connections for my invention.

Figure 3 is across section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Throughout thedrawings andv specification,'the same reference characters refer to the same or similar parts. r

Referring particularly to Figure 1 where- -in the important features of this embodiment -of my invention are illustrated, 10 designates the inlet connection of the fluid which acts as a vehicle for the sterilizing agent and inlthis Acase represents a pipe connection to a service water main. The valve 11 is connected to the connection L10 and gontrols the intermittent iiow as will be later described. 1 v

The wat/er after passing the valve 11 passes through the'xfpass'age 12 and into `the jet 13. The restricted delivery end of the jet `13 causes 'the speed of flow to be increased at this point. The vdelivery end of the jet 13 is located in the mixing chamber A14 where the sterilizing agent is delivered,`a's will be later described. The oiltlet 15 is provided for the l deliveryr of the fluid and sterilizing agent as will be later described,

rI'he sterilizing agent which is described in this embodiment as the gas chlorine, is delivered througha tube 16 from a suitable source of supply. This tube 16' is connected to a tank through a suitable pressure control valve suchas is common in the. art.

When an agent such as chlorine is used, it

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is necessary to have all connections and parts which might contact with the agent, of `a material which will 'not be aiiecte'd by the agent. Accordingly, the tubes for the passageof the agent' are made of silver and the body portions are made of hard rubber.,

The agent supply pipe 16 of silver passes through a removable gland 17 of silver.-

This removable gland -17 is held in place by a brass follower 18 which is screw-threadedly connected to a brass ring 19. Screw-threadedly and soldered to the `ring 19 is a silver tube 20 having a passage 21 and a small valve seat opening 22. Y

The ring 19 rests on the bottom of a counter-sunk opening in the body member 23 of-hard rubber. The lower end of the tube therein surrounding a substantial portionzofd'sterilizing .agent as chlorine and normally dees not go beyond the chamber in the tube `2O is Fscrew-threadedly connected to a brass tight/ly against the outside offthe controll receiver 24 which its a counter-sunk opening similar-to that? occupied by the ring 19.

Acontrol valve 25 with an 'end 25al which tits into the opening 22, extends along the lower interior of the tube 20, and is made of silver. A gland 26fforces the Apacking 27 beveled tip which serves as a delicate control for the a ent passing through the passage 21 and t en through the openings 20a in the tube 20.

In the hard. rubber bodyi member 23 and about the holes 20, is an enlarged opening 30. This opening connects toa passage 31 which extends through the body` member 23 to a cutaway portion 32 ofaha'rdrubber plu 33. This plug 33 is screw-threadedy in 'Alle ody portion 23 as shownat 33".

" vpassage At another partofthe body portion 23 and connected tothe passage formed by the cutaway portion 32 so as to be connected to the 31, is a passage 34 which leads to the' passage within a silver tube 35. This silver tube 35 extends into achamber which has a transparent wall as the glass tube 36.

ing action This tube 36 isheld at its'upper end bya ring 37 and a packing 38 prevents a crushby the ring against the .fiange 36 ofthe ltube 36. The lower end ofthe tube 36 Lextends yinto awater seal'cup 39 lfor a purpose to be later dscribed.-

Extendin 'nto the chamber within the i tube 36 an to control the capacity f the sterilzing agent chamber, to bedescri ed, is

the silver vcontrol'tube 40. This tube extends .45

upwardly through an opening lled with asbestos .packing 41. Its upper end is connected to acontrol rod 42. A handle 4 2a is placed I Surrounding the tube 40 is on the end of the rod 42'.

ahard rubber plug'43 with a tube (43('havinga spacev43 the length of the rod 42. Ata point `near c the upper end. of the tube 40 and adjacent the point where it is connected to the rod 42 are openings 44. These openings are 4always' incommunication with thespace 43a whethr the tube 40 is in a high or low position. -At the bottom of the tube.43 is a. silver washer 43" and at the top is a silver washer 43. The lower washer 43b rests against the packing 41 already described and theu per washer 43 holds the' bottom ofthe pac 'ng for 45 of asbestos or any other suitable material. A paclng nut 46 presses downwardly on` the packing 45 and-holds the. same in place. The

acking nut. is of brass ,andrscrew-threaded into the harfd rubber plug- 43.' l

With shoulders below the packing 41 and the tube 43 pressed thereon by the packing 45 through the packing nut 46,` an equalization between the packings 41 and 45 ismaintained. The tube 43 adjacent its lower end, hasy openings 47' to permit passage into the cha ber 48 below the plug 43.

tending from the chamber 48 is a passage C49 which extends to a water jet vacuum Ydevice now to be described.

An auxiliary water supply 50 delivers water through a hanged connection 51 which is provided with a angelar A brass strainer fitting 520i brass rests on the top of the body member 23 and is provided at its upper end with screw threads on its outer surface.

-A anged screen holder 53 carrying the screen 54, coacts with the connector 51 and the top of the strainer fitting 52, these parts all belng held in place by the interiorly tends through thebottom bf the body member 23 and connects to a waste pipe 58.

' Adj acentthe opening of the nozzle'56 and yin the wall of the pipe 57, are openings 57 a f into the-annular space`59. This space 59 has ,constant communicationo with the (passage 49, already described.

from.l the tube 16, through the tube 21, past thelvalve 25, through the openings 201, mto

Ethe space 39, through the passage 3'1,- into the space 32, through the assage 34, the tube .35, the chamber in the tu e 36,'into the tube,

V*3d-which will now be described.

through the tube or pipe 50, t ere is a secon auxiliary flow through the pipe 59 into the chamber 60 within .the water Nseal cup 39. `Also within the boxL 39 is a chamber 6.1, the

two chambers being connected with' an overiow openingl 62,3` The tube 58 extends entirely through the cup 39 and where it passes` through the bottom is provided with a clearance 62 from the side of the opening. Through this clearance passes the water which overiows from thediamber 60 .into the It will .thus be seen ,that there is a passage In additionto thev auxiliar flow of wate" 12'0 chamber 61 through the connecting openi The water supply through the pipe 59 should not, however, be great enough to produce an overflow of. water through the opening62 as this would be an unnecessary waste of water. VBut since the jet of water through the nozzle/56 will create a partial vacuum the passage 49, gas will be drawn off by way of the -tube 40 until the water level in the tube 36 rises to the bottom of the tube 40. Then water will be drawn up through the tube 40 by the injector nozzle 56. The surfaceof the waterat the bottom ofvsterilizing agent chamber of the tube 40, becomes the lower movable wall or bottom 'of the chamber which collects the sterilizing'agent during the time the main wateriisupply is cut o l 7 If now the lmob 42a' be used to raise the height of the lower end ofthe tube 40, the /injector nozzle 56 will exhaust the, air or gas within the tube 36 until' the' water level reaches the bottom of the tube. v

With both auxiliary water flows turned on,

: let us now assume the sterilizing agent to be admitted through the pipel6 and under control of the control ,yalve 25f. The agent will follow the course already outlined untilit reaches thechamber in the tube 36. If the llow of agent is too great, itl presses down the lower water wall of the chamber to a point below the bottom 'of theftube 40, the excess' agent being drawn up through the tube 40 and wasted in the pipe or tube 58.

Having described the course through which the sterilizing agent reaches its' collecting place in the chamber within the tube 36, I will now describe that part of the' apparatus whiehdelivers the agent to the mixing chamber 14,-and the operation of the parts during such delivery. l

In one side of the cutaway space -32-is an opening to a passage 63in the plug 33. This passage63 extends to vasmall passage 64 in5- a plug 65 which plug is screwthreaded in the end of the passage 63. `The face of this plug forms a valve seat for the inlet valve 66 'car-1' ried by the valve screw 67 which-isoperated" by the valve handle 68.

`The passage 64 is,` when the valve 66 is raised, in communication .with the chamber 69. `.A passage 7() leads from thechamber 69 through the plug 33 to the cliamber71 which. is formed between the bottom of the plu@- and 50 the body member 23'. `In the `bottom 0I this Y chamber is an opening to a passage 72 which leads to a space 73 between a silver tube 74 and the 'wall-of a rubber bushing 75, this lat-` l ter being .enclosed in a metal housing 7 6.. 05 Openings 74a are provided tol admit the steropenings. 7 4a. `and the capacity of the collecting chamber x timethe valve 11 is open.

ilizing agent tothe vmixing chamber 14 as already mentioned. The nozzle 13 already described is conl-structed of silver and is held in place, through its flange, by the threaded bushing 77 which is threaded into the bushing 75.

The bushing 75 is held in place bythe threaded-plug 78 which carries a silver sleeve 7 9 atthe end of which is the delivery opening 15 for the water and sterilizing agent mixture.

Assuming the water to Fbe turned on through the valve 1l and the other auxiliary water to be turned on and the'sterilizing agent being fed into the system by thepipe l6'as already described, the operation 1s as follows The chamber in the tube 36 is defined by the inner suriaces ofthe tube, the top by the level of the bottom of the tube 35 and the bottom by the water level at the bottom of the tube 40.

The chamber contains the sterilizing agent through the jet nozzle 13, creates a partial vacuum in the space 73, by drawing the agent through the 'openings This draws the gas from the collection chamber within the tube 36, back through the tube 35 to the passage 34, to the space 32, into the passage 63, through the passage 64, past the valve 66, into the chamber 69, out through the passage 7 0 to the chamber 7l, through the passage 72 to the space 73 and through the The closing of the valve 11 are so' relatively controlled that when the water level of the collecting chamber reaches the bottom of the tube 35, nthe valve 11 will close. The sterilizing agent which lentersduring the timethe collecting chamber is being exhausted, passes from the passage 31,

through the space 32, to Vthe passage 63 direct, without going irst to the collecting chamber.

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In this way the' amount of sterilizing agent delivered-during each cyclefis the sum ofthe v capacity of thecollecting chamber plus the amount oit 'the' agent brought in during the.

In' order to determine whether br. not

sufficient of the'sterilizing -agentis being deliver'edxto the water, it is necessary to makey some kind of a test.` In the case of chlorine.

in water., it has been found that a residual of from .1 to .5 parts o-chlorinein 1,000,006

parts Vof water is a. completeyassurance of a isterile condition. 'flu-resting, a sample of the water' to' be' testedflias addedv to'it, o rthotoluidine. A 'greenish tint 'results varying in intensity with'fthe amount of chlorine i' is compared with the colors of samples of ,the valve 11. In this way, a constant iow of known residual strengths. In this way itis possible to make a-test at any time and to -immediately determine whether or not an eec'tive sterilization has been produced.

By watching the action of the gas in the collecting chamber and making tests of the residual strength of the delivered mixture, .it is possible to control the exactamount of the sterilizing agent used and without any waste. fIf the water delivered is found to be more highly charged than necessary, the tube `l04 is raised to decrease the size of the collecting chamber and the control valve 25a adjusted by the control vknob 29 to reduce the amount delivered. When it is observedjthrou'gli the glass tube 36 that some of the sterilizing agent is escaping through the 'tube 40 due to the collecting chamber lilling too fast, the lcontrol valve 25a' by the knob 29 is adjusted to further restrict the entrance of the agent.

If,the collhcting chamber does not fill durin each cycle as evidenced, by the fact that t e water level does not fall to the bottom of the tube 40, thefvalve 25ab should be opened.

- Attention is' called to the fact that should operation of the apparatus be interrupted for a time, the first charge of water after resumption of the operation will contain no more of the sterilizing agentthan the following charges. During .the time of interruption, the excess .of sterilizing agent will simply waste through the pipe 40, and out past the auxiliary injector.

The gas inlet valve 66 should receive careful adjustment and should be so adjusted,by turning the 'handle 68, that during the time the main water supply is turned on through the valve 11, there will be just suiiicient time to raise'the level'of the waterl in the collect- .ing chamber to the heivht of the bottom of the tube 35', by the time tle water is shut o' at gas willbe delivered tothe chamber 14.- and all of thewater will be sterile when delivered.

In utilizing my invention for. different pur- A 'l poses, the necessary lchanges inl connectlons operation of which as a last step andin time of operation willhave to be made.`

the bottles tothe washing operation (not shown) andthen to the sterilizing'` apparatus herein described. v i

'In the illustrated form, a win be understood that the bottles are washed and steri- ,/time the bottles are moved, they move two spaces.

The delivery end -of the plug 78 has its threaded end connected to the manifold 101 by the pipe 102. The manifold 101 has two pipes 103 extending therefrom, each with two spray nozzles 104 making four in all.

The operating wire or rod 104 is connected l to the cam-operated mechanism of the device in such a manner that when the bottles are 104 will be pulled, operating the quick-acting valve 11 to start the sterilizing operation.

stopped over the spray nozzles 104, the' rod At the end of the six second interval, the

moving the next set of bottles into position to v be sterilizeday If because of a broken bottle or for any Qther cause the machinery stops, the first charge of water and. chlorine after the stop, will be no stronger than -it would have been if the operation had not been interrupted.

While been described in detail in connection' with the sterilization of bottles, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to these details or this use and that modifications and 'changes may be made and the invention used in sterilizing operations other than in bottles without departing from ythe spirit of the invention and within the scope f the appended claims.

Havin described my invention, what I claiman desire to secure by Letters Patent iszprises the -delivery of/a measured amount of a gaseous sterilizing agent from a chamber of controllable capacity into a measured amount `of water and the intermittent delivery of the water -and sterilizin'g bodies to be sterilized.-

.2. The process of `sterilizing which com-l prises the delivery of a measured amount 'of an embodiment of my invention hasy agent to the body or l. The process ofsterilizing which comi water intermittently to a bodyl or bodies to be sterilized, the delivery' of a gaseous sterilizing agent from'a chamber of controllable capacity in a measured amount into thewater stream when turned on,the agent being collected for delivery during thetim'e the vwaterv stream isturned oft'. ,/,f

3. .The process 'of sterilizing ,which cornlprises the delivery of a measured amount of sterilizing agent from a chamber of controllable capacity into a measured J'amount of fluid and the intermittent delivery of the fluid and sterilizing agent to the body or bodies to be sterilized.

4. The process of sterilizing which comprises the delivery of a measured amount of liquid intermittently to a body or bodies to be sterilized, the delivery of a sterilizing agent from a chamber of controllable capacity ina measured amount into the liquid stream, when turned on, the agent being collected for delivery during the time the liquid stream -is turned oi'.

5. The process of sterilizing surfaces which comprises controlling the flow of a gaseous sterilizing agent from a chamber of controllable capacity by a sight feed and injecting this gas into a iiow of Water and the delivery of the gas and Water to and' along the surface to be sterilized.

the agent and mixing it with a Water flow and delivering the agent and Water to the body to be sterilized. l

8. The process of sterilizing" bottles which -comprises the delivery of a measured amount of gaseous sterilizing agent into a variable capacity chamber, of then Vconnecting the chamber to a Water flow and mixing the agent and watertogethe delivering the mixture as a spray to the bot -le interior and turning o the Water liow whenthe operation-for that bottle is completed.

9. A lsterilizing apparatus comprising a- Water inlet, a gaseous sterilizing agent inlet duct, a variable capacity' gas measuring and delivering chamber for receiving' and deliver` ing the agent in measured quantities, an outlet for the Water and agent and a connection from the chamber to the outlet.

10. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a Water inlet, a sterilizing 'agent inlet duct, a

v .chamber for receiving the agent, means for controlling the capacity of the chamber, an

outlet for the Water and agent and a connectionfroin the chamber to the outlet.

` 11. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a `Water inlet, a .sterilizing agent inlet duct, a

chamber for receiving the agent, the -chamber having a luid wall, means for varying the limit of the position of the iuid Wall, yan outlet for the Water and agent and a connection from the chamber to the outlet.

12. A sterilizing appara-tus comprising a water inlet, a sterilizing agent inlet duct, a chamber Jfor collecting the agent, the chamber having av movable wall, means for removing excess agent beyond a predetermined amount, an outletfor the water and agent and a connection from the chamber to the outlet. 'j,

13. A sterilizing apparatus' comprising a Water inlet,a sterilizing agent inlet duct, a chamber of va riable capacity for receiving the agent, the chamber having a transparentwall, means visible through the transparentlwall for controlling the capacity of the chamber, an outlet for the Water. and agent andfa vcon# nection from the chamber to the outlet.

14. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a Water inlet, a sterilizing agent inlet duct, a

chamber having a transparent. Wall, a fluidbottom for the chamber, a tube extending into the chamber and having an opening atrthe predetermined lower limit of the chamber y bottom, suction means attached to the @tube md a connection `from the chamber to the out- 15. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a Water inlet, means for giving an intermittent ilow to the'water through the inlet, a gaseous sterilizing agent inlet duct, a variable capacity gas measuring and delivering chamber `for receiving and delivering the agent in measured quantities, a mixing chamber for mix ing the water and agent, an outlet for the mixing chamber, and a connection Jfrom the receiving chamber to the mixing chamber.-

16. A sterilizing apparatus comprising al Water inlet, means for giving an 4intermittent low to the Water through the inlet, a sterilizing agent inlet duct, a chamber for receiving the agent, means for controlling'thecapacity f of the chamber, an outlet for the Water and agent and a connection from the chamberpto the outlet, operative when the intermittent operating means is in operation. y i

17. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a ino Water inlet, means for giving an intermittent flow to the Water through the inlet, a sterilizing agent inlet duct, a chamber for receiving the agent,-a mixing chamber for mixing the Water and agent, the receiviiigchainber having a fluid Wall, means for varying the limit of the position of thel fluid Wall, an outlet for ,Y

the mixing chamber and a connection from the receiving chamber to the mixing chamber,

operative when the intermittent operating means is in operation. v 1

18. A sterilizing p apparatus comprising a water inlet, means for giving an intermittent flow to the Water through the inlet, a steriliz- Y ing agent inlet duct, a chamber for receiving` the agent, a mixing chamber ornixing the 5Water and agent, the receiving ,chamber having a movable wall, means for removing excess agent beyond avpredeterm'ined amount, an l '5 outlet for the mixing vchamber and a connection from the receiving chamber to the mixing chamber, operative when the intermittent operating means isy in-operation.

19. A sterilizing apparatus comprising'a' Water inlet, means forgiving an intermit` tent flow to'the water through the inlet, a. sterilizing agent inlet duct, a. chamber for receiving the agent, a mixing chamber for mixing the water and agent, the receiving Chamber having a transparent Wall, means visible through th'e transparent wall for controlling the capacity of the\receivi ng cham ber, an outlet for the mixing chamber and a connection from the receiving chamber to the mixing chamber, operative when the' intermittent operating means is in operatioln 20. A sterilizing pparatuscomprising a Water inlet, means fdl* giving an intermittent iow to the water through the inlet, a sterilizing 'agent inlet duct, a chamber for receiving the agent, 'a mixing chamber formixingr the water and agent, the receiving chamber havin a transparent wall, and a fluid bottom, a tubye extending into the chamber and' having 2o an opening at the predetermined lower limit of the chamber bottom, suction means .attached to the tube, an outlet for the mixing chamber and a connection vfrom the receiving chamber to the mixingf'chamber, operative when the intermittent operating'means is in /operatiom .21. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a water inlet, a variable capacity sterilizing agent inlet duct, a sterilizing agent measur- 130 ing chamber for receivingv and delivering-the for the water and agent andadjacent the inlet, a water jet adjacent the mixing chamber and in the course of the water iow from the inlet, a connection from the receiving chamber to deliver the agent to the mixing chamber and an outlet for the water and agent.

95 A sterilizing apparatus comprising a waterinlet, means operating to supply an intermittent flow to the water through the inlet, asterilizing agent inlet duct, a chamber for receiving the agent, means for conducting a flow of water adjacent the lower portion of the receiving chamber, a tube having an opening adjacent the surface of the water of the chamber, a. water jet suction means connected to the tube to normally exhaust water therethrough, a mixing chamber for the water and.

agentand-adiacent the inlet, a water jet adjacent the mixing chamber and in the course of the water iiow from the inlet, a connection from the receiving chamber to deliver the agent to the mixing chamber during operation when the intermittent operating means is in operation and an outlet for the water and agent.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

` H. FULTON.

agent in measured quantities, anoutlet -for vthe-Water and agent, a connection from the chamber tothe 'outlet and a jet in the water r course adjacent the delivery end of the con- 35 nection.

22. A sterilizing apparatus comprising a Water inlet, a sterilizing agent inlet duct, a chamber having a variable capacity for receivinr the agent, a passage from the 'agent 40 inlet duct 'to thereceiving chamber, meansl for controlling the flow of the sterilizing agent to the chamber, an outlet for the water and agent and a connection from the chamber'tothe outlet. '23. A. sterilizing apparatus T comprising a Water inlet, a sterilizlng agent inlet duct, a chamber for receiving the agent, means for preventing an excess of agent from remaining in the chamber, comprising a tube extend'- ing into the chamber and'having an opening, means outside of vthe chamber for adjusting the position of the opening relative 'to the` top of the chamber, a water injector suction means nection from the chamber to the outlet.

24E A sterilizing apparatus comprising a water inlet, a sterilizing agent inlet duct, a chamber for receiving the a ent'means for conductin a flow of water adjacent the lower portion o the receiying chamber, a tube havf ing an opening adjacent the surface of the water of the chamber, a water jet suctionv means connected to the tubeto normally ex; haust water therethrough, a mixing chamber connected to the tubeto remove excess agent, an outlet for the water and agent and acon- 

